extinguisher
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that extinguishes.
-
an instrument consisting of a cone-shaped cup attached to a handle or the end of a pole, for extinguishing a candle by momentarily closing off the burning wick from the air.
Etymology
Origin of extinguisher
First recorded in 1550–60; extinguish + -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among their finds is a fire extinguisher dating from 1942, newspapers from the week after D-Day, and a tin of "whole chicken in jelly" - fortunately empty.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Another sprayed a fire extinguisher, sending up a white cloud.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
He runs back to the shop to grab another man who tries to tackle the fire with a fire extinguisher.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Standing repo facility usage: The SRF is supposed to be a backstop nobody needs, like the fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025
The Wonder bread absorbed the acid like fire extinguisher foam and splattered against the hydra, covering it in a sticky, steaming layer of high-calorie poisonous goo.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
